183 Talcott Rd., Suite 101Williston, Vermont 05495-2075

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Burlington, VT05401

www.ppnne.org

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news source | spring/summer 2011

JoInIng the Zine scenePlanned Parenthood of Northern New England, in collaboration with zine writer Hannah Neurotica, launched a new project for women to express themselves. The Planned Parenthood Zine Anthology will be a collection of real stories from real people that promises to expand the dialogue about sexuality.

You may be asking, “What on earth is a zine?!” Originally a shortened term for magazine, a zine is a printed form of expression that is cheaply made and often resembles a mini-magazine or homemade comic.

PPNNE ventured into the zine scene because many of our supporters have different experiences with

sexuality, and we believe this will be a powerful way to share their stories. With its emphasis on free-form, creative expression in a multitude of media, the zine format is just right for this unique project.

Join the creative energy and send us your stories! Zines

are fun to make and can take any form. Visit www.ppnnezine.com for submission guidelines or send your questions to zines@ppnne.org.

Interested In Volunteering?Fill out our application on www.ppnne.org, send an email to volunteer@ppnne.org or call Erika at (802) 288-8437.

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scall centerAs of this spring, PPNNE patients from the shores of the Atlantic to Lake Champlain—and all points in between—will be greeted by our well-trained Call Center staff in Williston, VT. By having patients make appointments through the Call Center, we free up health care staff to focus on patient care. The Call Center is also available on Saturdays, so if you don’t get around to calling during your busy week, you can reach uson the weekend.

To make an appointment, please call 1-866-476-1321.

Increased hoursWe heard from many patients who wanted more work- and weekend-friendly hours. In response, we added days, lengthened hours to include evenings, and now offer Saturday spots for people who can’t make it in during the week.

If you have any other suggestions on how we can better serve our patients, drop us a line at emcrequest@ppnne.org.

PlAnneD PArenthooD DefeAts AttAcks in washington, D.c.It has been a busy spring. And yet, as our CEO Steve Trombley says, “This is a marathon, not a sprint.”

It has been hard to miss Planned Parenthood in the news: Congress threatened to shut down the government in an attempt to dismantle Planned Parenthood. The proposal, championed by Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, would have barred Planned Parenthood health centers from providing patient care through any federal health program. After much wrangling, this devastating blow to low-income women seeking preventative care was extracted from the budget. Later it was voted on separately, passing in the

House, but was rightly defeated in the Senate thanks to public outcry.

Northern New England enjoyed fantastic support from its senators and representatives in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, with two exceptions: Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Rep. Frank Guinta, both of New Hampshire, who wholeheartedly backed the assault on women’s health care.

Our success in defending women’s health care would not have been possible without the phenomenal help of our intrepid supporters. Hundreds of thousands of people joined forces with Planned Parenthood, making it very clear that the services we provide are critically important. Volunteers staffed phone banks, wrote letters to the editor, called and visited senators, and rallied with passion!

At Planned Parenthood of Northern New

England, thanks to all our amazing activists we collected 19,602 petition signatures, inspired 2,272 calls to Congress, and motivated 5,230 event attendees. The message to the press and legislation was heard loud and clear: stand with Planned Parenthood!

On behalf of all of us at PPNNE, thank you for your continued and undeniably crucial support.

news source | spring/summer 2011

uPDAtes from our stAtes

We will look to you, our strong supporters, to help inform the public with letters to the editor, lobbying days, and other forms of public outreach.

mAIne Maine Senators Snowe and Collins were among the Republicans who crossed party lines to support Planned Parenthood in the recent attempts to de-fund women’s health care.

At the state level, though, there are serious threats to women’s health care and reproductive rights. Hostile anti-choice and anti-contraception bills have been printed, and dates for public hearings have been

set. The Choice Coalition, to which PPNNE belongs, has switched into high gear, working on several press and face-to-face lobbying opportunities aimed at accurately framing the issue rather than allowing the anti-choice movement to gain traction.

While Governor Paul LePage’s proposed budget includes some family planning funding, it completely eliminates family planning from the Fund for a Healthy Maine. Overall, this amounts to slashing nearly half of Planned Parenthood’s state funding.

new hAmPshIreThe election results of last fall are being felt in New Hampshire and in Washington. In New Hampshire, PPNNE is facing its fiercest attack in years. At the national level, Rep. Frank Guinta was a leader among House Republicans in efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, and Sen.

Kelly Ayotte was the only New England senator who voted in favor of de-funding us. In contrast, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen was a critical voice in preserving lifesaving women’s health services. We are grateful to Sen. Shaheen and Rep. Charlie Bass for their support.

In coming months, we will focus on educating women about the threats Rep. Guinta and Sen. Ayotte pose to reproductive health care access. We will look to you, our strong supporters, to help inform the public with letters to the editor, lobbying days, and other forms of public outreach.

Follow us at www.facebook.com/ppnne for regular updates on outreach events and opportunities.

At the state level, New Hampshire is facing a troubling convergence of the bad economy and an extreme agenda in the legislature that threatens funding for women’s health. A new parental notification law will likely be enacted, limiting access for young women seeking abortion care.

Despite anticipated setbacks, we will continue to advocate for the needs of our patients, so they—not

the legislature—can choose the health care

that is best for them.

Vermont Vermont continues to enjoy outstanding support from Sen. Patrick Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch. They stood with Planned Parenthood

and voted against every single attack launched by extreme Republicans.

Meanwhile, in Montpelier, Governor Peter Shumlin’s administration has proposed ground-breaking legislation that would build the infrastructure for affordable and universal health care. The leadership in the House and Senate has worked hard to ensure women’s reproductive health care is included, and we are fully supportive of the bill. The legislature is also working on a telemedicine bill that would help expand access to health care services, and a green cleaning bill that would require all schools to use green cleaning products.

Lastly, the proposed state budget includes level funding for Medicaid, which maintains Vermont’s commitment to women’s health in this tough economic time.

eVery DAy we suPPort womenPleAse helP suPPort us

We’ll put your gift to work right away to help every person who comes through our doors, regardless of ability to pay. You can be sure you have helped someone in your community—you have helped change a life.

Before you set this newsletter aside, we hope you’ll use the enclosed envelope to make a generous gift to support PPNNE this year. You can also make your gift online at:

www.ppnne.org/donate

news source | spring/summer 2011

celebrAtIng mardi grasFor the fourth consecutive year, PPNNE participated in the Magic Hat Mardi Gras Parade in Burlington, VT. The event is a winter staple in Vermont, bringing thousands of people to the frigid downtown streets to watch, wave, and compete for beads as dozens of local businesses and non-profits show off their flamboyant floats.

Proceeds from the parade benefit the Women’s Rape Crisis Center, and this year’s totaled more than $19,000. PPNNE is proud to support such an important community partner and our staff

members particularly look forward to showing off our float. For this year’s theme, “The Sexcuers,” staff and volunteers dressed as superheroes. In capes, masks, and tights, they cruised down Main Street in the Planned Parenthood mobile to the wild cheers of fans!

kInD thanksWe are happy to thank the following people and businesses that supported our work last year with generous in-kind donations:

American Flatbread• Aubuchon Hardware• Bagel Works• Stephanie Bauer• Ben & Jerry’s• Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker• Creative Habitat• Gibson’s Bookstore• Great American Diner (The Common Man)• Green Mountain Coffee Roasters• Jill Krowinski• Lake Champlain Chocolates• Leunig’s Bistro• Ramunto’s Brick Oven Pizza• Merrill’s Roxy Theatre• Tausha Sylver from Visions in Velvet• Taylor Rental• Three Tomatoes Trattoria • Tiny Thai Restaurant •

If your business would like to help support the work of PPNNE with an in-kind donation, please contact us at supportus@ppnne.org.

Jennifer Dextradeur Direct Response Manager

Jennifer Frizell Senior Policy Advisor, NH

Ellen Gitomer Associate VP, Development

Rachel Hanish Development & Grants Specialist

Megan Hannan Public Affairs Director, ME

Jill Krowinski Public Affairs Director, VT

Amy Lafayette CEC & Web Specialist

Elizabeth McElhinney Marketing Intern

Val Vass Director of Marketing & Communicationsco

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thAnk youfor standing with Planned ParenthoodLast month, we defeated the most aggressive attack on Planned Parenthood in decades, as Indiana Rep. Mike Pence and others in Congress attempted to shut down the government in an effort to de-fund Planned Parenthood.

We didn’t sit back and hope for the best. We asked patients and supporters to stand with us against these attacks, to stand up for the principles we share.

And you did.

You stood up online, at rallies with the pink bus, and at lobby days. In the end, standing together, we were a force so powerful that the largest government in the world would be forced to shut down before you would let us be de-funded.

now, the next bAttle begIns We’ve merely gotten a glimpse of how extreme the social conservative agenda in Washington will be. We need to

brace ourselves for the next attack on Title X funding and Planned Parenthood. Anti-choice supporters won’t give up this fight, and neither will we.

We’re preparing for the next assault on women’s health care, and we hope you’ll join us by making a gift today to support PPNNE.

There is no doubt that with your support, we will defeat these threats and ensure women’s health care remains protected.

One day, you’ll look back on these unprecedented attacks and this historic fight, and know you played a vital role in protecting women’s health care. Please use the enclosed envelope or make your gift online at www.ppnne.org/donate.

On behalf of all those we serve, thank you for standing with us.

“It takes a noble person to plant a seed for a tree that will one day provide shade to people he may never meet.”

– Dr. David E. Trueblood

You can support and sustain the work you care about through a lasting legacy gift. History shows Planned Parenthood of Northern New England makes a difference by:

Helping adolescents transition into • adulthoodFostering healthy sexual decisions and • relationshipsBeing a loud and proud voice for • women’s health careChampioning a world where people can • make choices without shame and fear

You have helped fulfill this mission. Now we ask that you become part of our future and sustain these promises for the next generations. There are many ways to help, and some are as simple as naming PPNNE in your will or as the beneficiary of a retirement plan.

For more information, contact Ellen Gitomer, Associate VP of Development, at:

1-800-622-4122 or ellen.gitomer@ppnne.org

PlAnneD giving

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